Sam George: Ghana to enact new law to combat misinformation and disinformation

The Minister for Communications, Samuel Nartey George, has disclosed that his Ministry will soon lay before Parliament a draft legislation aimed at combating the growing menace of misinformation and disinformation in the country.

According to him, the proposed legal framework, once reviewed and approved by Parliament, will provide a comprehensive response to the threat of false information, particularly in the digital space.

“I will present a specialised legislation document on misinformation and disinformation before Parliament to be passed into law in its next meeting to create a clear legal framework for law enforcement,” he said during a press briefing on Wednesday, April 9.

The Ningo Prampram Member of Parliament (MP) also cautioned that no one will be spared when found guilty of spreading misinformation and disinformation.

“Notice is served, once the law is passed, we will clamp down on you if you are engaged in Mis and Disinformation.”

He then called for a collaborative approach to tackle the menace. “We have a collective civic duty to be mindful in our communication.”

The MP said in a “spirit of full transparency”, the law is needed.

In Africa, as in other parts of the world, misinformation and disinformation continue to pose serious challenges that require collaborative efforts from governments, civil society, media, and tech companies.

The act is mainly derived from political influence, low media literacy, social media, emerging artificial intelligence, and, in some cases, limited regulations.

Some immediate impacts of disinformation and misinformation are political instability and social divisions.

In Ghana, a few Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) are leading conversations on how to tackle the menace. One of these organisations is the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA).

Over the years, MFWA has organised training for media practitioners and other identified groups, especially in election years, to help tackle and discourage the act.

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